Teach Chluain Ghamhna aka Cloongownagh House is Georgian country farmhouse that was for a long time known as "Lakeview". Built on an elevated site in 1690, this property was occupied by the Kirkwoods of Woodbrook for the best part of 400 years.
The Kirkwoods were a Church of Ireland family (originally of Scottish extraction) that had been settled at Woodbrooke* (Parish of Tumna) since the 16th century [Walford 1882]. In 1710, the Kirkwoods were granted a lease of 900 years for the townlands of Woodbrook, Cloongownagh, and other lands. [Roscommon & Leitrim Gazette – 29 January 1876] Although the townland of Woodbrook* was the family seat, their main house was in the adjascent townland of Cloongownagh. As the Kirkwood dynasty grew, they occupied a number of the finer residences centred around the district of Croghan.
In 1814, Leet records "Lake-View, Carrick-on-Shannon" as the seat of Andrew Kirkwood Esq. who died in 1828.
In 1829, Thomas Kirkwood Esq. of Lakeview (1802-54) registers a freehold value of £50 from "holding the lands of Cloongoonagh and Clooneagh for ever". In 1837, Lewis records Lakeview as the gentlemen's seat of T. Kirkwood Esq. In 1839, Cloongownagh was recorded as having only one house of value (16 pounds 16 shillings) held by Thomas Kirkwood Esq. In 1850, Thom's directory records Thomas Kirkwood of Lakeview as one of the county magistrates. In 1852, Anne Mary Kirkwood of Lakeview (b.1833, dau. of Thomas Kirkwood and Judith Mary Kirkwood) married James Long of Lakeview. When her father died in 1854, the property passed to her brother.
In 1857, at the time of Griffith's Valuation, Andrew Samuel Kirkwood Esq. (1834-1902) was occupying a property at Cloongownagh, barony of Boyle, valued at £13. James Kirkwood Esq. of Woodbrook also held lands at Doorary. Sarah Mary Kirkwood, also of Woodbrook, held parcels of Corghan, Ardmore and Usna (where Woodbrook House stands). In 1864, Andrew S. Kirkwood married Mary Harriett Macmunn of Dublin.
In 1876, the Landed Estates Court ordered the sale of part of Andrew Kirkwood's lands at Cloongownagh to include the property thereon known as "Lakeview". However, the Kirkwoods managed to keep their house.
In the Census of 1901, Cloongownagh is recorded as a 14-room property occupied by Andrew Samuel Kirkwood (1834-1902) & family.
In 1913, the house was recorded as "Cloongownagh House" on the 25-inch Ordnance survey maps.
Cloongownagh remained in the possession of the Kirkwood family until 1939 when Col. Moore Kirkwood sold the house and 109 acres.
The house is still extant and occupied and is now part of a farm.
References
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Landed Estates: Cloongownagh | Ireland | VIEW SOURCE |
